Some 200 Level 2 chargers will go into 50 Ford locations in North America, including factories and offices. The company is strongly committed to electrifying the fleet, but its vehicles need a higher profile.

Ford confirmed yesterday that 12 complaints filed against its all-electric Focus with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have prompted an official safety investigation. Complainants said their cars, 2012 and 2013 Ford Focus Electric, have suddenly displayed a “Stop Safely Now” message on their dashboards while being operated. As soon as the message is displayed, complainants say their cars’ on-board electronics systems “stop responding,” forcing them to pull over at the side of the road.

Plug-in electric vehicles got short shrift in a Ford webinar yesterday. The company used the event, dubbed “Electrified Vehicle Momentum,” to announce a raft of enhancements to its conventional hybrid vehicles. Plug-in electrics could one day benefit from Ford’s increased investment in hybrid batteries and powertrains, but for now, the plug appears to be a secondary concern for the company.

Ford is a leader in hybrids in America, but it has yet to sell the first one in Europe. I took a test drive of an Escape Hybrid in Paris in 2006, and I thought at the time that this model would quickly arrive at dealers everywhere, but that didn't happen. Similarly, Ford started selling its Focus Electric in the U.S. last year, but Europe is still waiting to see a Ford EV outside of a motor show. So it's a relief to learn that they're finally coming.

In May, Ford announced that it dropped Best Buy as its home charging unit provider and installer. The relationship between Ford and Best Buy, when it was unveiled in the earliest days of the plug-in market, was supposed to signal a move toward mainstream EV acceptance. But Stephanie Janczak, manager for sustainability, environment and safety engineering at Ford Motor Co. told PluginCars.com yesterday that Best Buy was not the right path toward building economies of scale in the electric car charging market. “It was a mutual decision,” said Janczak. “We decided this would be a good time to start consolidating the industry.”

Riding high on hybrids and plug-in hybrids, Ford isn't devoting a lot of time to its Focus Electric, which has sold only 723 units this year. But the CARB rules are lenient in the early years, so it should be OK. It's 2018 when things get really challenging.

Ford will not update its Focus Electric for the 2014 model year. Ford director of global electrification Nancy Giola says the carmaker still sees battery electric vehicles as a “niche” market and won't try to drive sales ahead of demand from consumers.

The 2013 Nissan LEAF might be the world’s best-selling electric car, but it’s hardly what you’d call a regular-looking car. In fact, with its bulbous headlights and accentuated rear, the LEAF—just like the Mitsubishi i and Toyota Prius—screams for attention as an eco-mobile. Many electric car drivers—including myself—love the LEAF’s unconventional design. But if you want to drive an electric car that looks "normal" however, consider these four all-electric cars that might even be mistaken for their gas-powered siblings.

When the Ford Focus Electric launched last summer, only 67 Ford dealers across the nation were certified to sell the company's plug-in vehicle. By November, that number surpassed 200. Ford now says the number of EV Certified dealers will exceed 900 by Spring. Certified dealers must have plug-in cars ready to demonstrate, and staff trained to understand electric vehicle.